During rehearsals and performances, musicians find it necessary to periodically set their instruments aside, in order to play a different instrument, to take a rest break, or to complete some other activity. It is desirable to rest an instrument in a place that is protected from possible damage to the instrument, yet conveniently accessible when needed. Musicians tend to be unwilling to place musical instruments on the ground and against a wall because they are afraid that the instrument may fall and be damaged. Therefore, musical instruments that are capable of being rested generally upright or vertical have been traditionally held by an instrument holder, support or stand.
Freestanding instrument stands are available in a variety of designs and are generally designed to completely or partially support the weight of and balance an instrument. Traditional instrument supports or stands, however, have several disadvantages including that they may be unstable, awkward to transport and set up, and take up too much space. Typically, the stands are tailored to receive a particular instrument and cannot be used with multiple instruments. Made from heavy steel tubing or hardened plastics, instrument stands generally require some assembly in order to use and once assembled take up significant space with the instrument in locations where space is limited (e.g. on stage). With space being at a premium, it is inconvenient to place a freestanding instrument stand among the other items of equipment on stage or in a studio. While freestanding instrument stands are designed to be as compact as possible, some floor space is occupied by the supports for the stand. It is desirable to have a relatively large base for the supporting members of an instrument stand to prevent the stand from toppling over, in the event of accidental contact with moving persons or equipment. Modern music performances involve significant amounts of activity on stage and instrument stands are susceptible to toppling. Certain instruments, such as string instruments, present particular difficulties. The relatively long neck and rounded body make string instruments less balanced in a resting position and susceptible to being toppled over. As such, string instruments tend to be unsuitable for simply leaning against an object, such as an amplifier. It is common for musicians to rehearse, record, and perform in an area crowded with equipment. In addition to lighting, microphone stands and wiring, larger equipment such as amplifiers and combination amplifiers are frequently present in the area where musicians are working. Therefore, such prior art stands have a tendency to become tripping hazards or snag points, leaving a sense of insecurity for the instrument and the musician.
A number of patents are directed to instrument stands, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,099,441; 4,223,785; 4,474,290; 4,515,272; 5,024,328; 5,029,796; 5,149,901; 5,207,327; 5,497,689; 5,590,771; 5,713,465; 5,816,395; 5,833,051; 5,876,813; 7,659,468; 6,727,415; 7,470,843; 7,446,249; and 7,394,006.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,659,468 to Gottlieb is directed to a guitar stand system including a bracket, a strap, and one or more studs. The bracket is provided with an upper portion having a horizontally projecting brace and a lower portion having a pair of downwardly projecting legs defining a slot therebetween. A pair of spaced apart hitches is provided on the upper portion of the bracket. The studs may be mounted on a stable object or structure and the bracket may be slidably engaged on the studs. A guitar may be leaned adjacent to the bracket. The strap, which is provided with an “O” ring at each end, may be drawn across the guitar neck and the “O” rings may be engaged on the hitches to confine the guitar securely on the stand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,415 to Herring is directed to a rest for guitar-like instruments which is internally configured to receive the bottom of a guitar-like instrument and to allow the instrument to lean against another object. Preferably, a groove is provided in the bottom of the rest to allow the rest to fit over the handle of an amplifier. Also, the cavity is preferably shaped such that the back of the top of the guitar-like instrument leans on a wall or other supporting structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,470,843 to Hsieh is directed to a foldable guitar holder which has a stationary shaft, a central shaft assembly and two symmetrical brackets. The stationary shaft has an upper end and a lower end. The central shaft has a central shaft and two assistant shafts. The central shaft has a standing portion and a longitudinal hole receiving the lower end of the stationary shaft. The assistant shafts connect pivotally to the central shaft and have two standing ends. The brackets have two supporting shafts and two holding brackets. Each supporting shaft connects pivotally to the lower end of the stationary shaft and one of the assistant shafts and has a standing part. Each holding bracket connects pivotally to the upper end of the stationary bracket. The standing portion, standing ends and standing parts allow the guitar bracket to stand on the ground steadily.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,446,249 to Driscoll is directed to a support for a musical instrument manufactured from a firm yet pliable material which is slid under the supporting handle of an amplification device or slid between two stacked amplification devices by a finger hole at one end. The fingerboard or neck of a musical instrument, when stood upright on the floor, can be inserted into a socket on the other end of the device providing support when the instrument is not being played and providing a convenient and safe means of storage when the instrument is not in use. Two gear-shaped ends assist in sliding the device under the handle of the amplification device and the two slots by the socket hold guitar plectrums.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,394,006 to Bordignon is directed to a bearing element for stringed musical instruments comprising a mainly vertically arranged frame, placed on a bearing surface provided with support means which defines a housing able to receive the body of the instrument. Each of the support means comprises a couple of mutually opposed jaws, slidingly coupled to the support means and joined together through regulation means able to modify in a continuous way the distance between the jaws, which comprise a shaped body defining a concave surface bounding on one side said housing.
There are a number of deficiencies with the prior art devices. As such, there is a need for a vertical instrument support system that addresses these deficiencies. In addition, there is a need for a vertical instrument support system that can be stable, easy to use, easily and conveniently releasable, occupies minimal floor space, adaptable to a variety of instruments and holds instruments without damage thereto.